


Thrown Together

by Persephonie_Muses



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Azutara minor AU, Ba Sing Se, Catacombs of Ba Sing Se, F/F, Re-uploaded from FF.net, There are no heteros in Ba Sing Se, episode AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-26
Updated: 2019-02-28
Packaged: 2019-07-18 00:52:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16107335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Persephonie_Muses/pseuds/Persephonie_Muses
Summary: What if it was Azula that Katara met in the Catacombs of Ba Sing Se when she was captured by the Dai Li instead of Zuko? Azutara minor AU





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! So, some of you might know this story from FF.net. I’m getting more serious about my writing commissions, so I’ve decided to branch to different sites, and re-upload my older (and now fixed) stories on said sites.

Katara was being dragged and pulled by the Dai Li agents--one pair of hands clutching her torn water tribe clothing and another tugging at metal chains around her wrists. She was blindfolded, so she could only guess where they were going.

"Let go of me!" She demanded, struggling to break free from their iron grasp. "...I said let go of me!" She yelled again, but her demands fell upon deaf ears. She struggled and struggled, slowly feeling her strength waning. She wasn't going to go down without a fight.

"The Avatar will find me! He won't let you get away with this!" She warned, as she continued to thrash wildly.

"Quiet, Waterbender!" One of the Dai Li agents yelled into her ear, causing her to recoil away from him.

"We're here," the other informed with an indifferent voice. Katara was panting heavily as she heard the sound of moving earth.

"You've got company." The Dai Li agent said. Katara felt the chains on her wrists loosen and finally slip off. 'Who is he talking to?' Katara thought, but before she could ask, she felt a solid push to her back. She tried to catch herself from falling, her arms flailing out in front of her. She rolled down a steep hill of dirt and rocks before coming to an abrupt stop. The only other body in the room stiffened and held its breath, trying to go unnoticed.

"Owww," Katara groaned. During her tumble her blindfold came off and she looked up just in time to see the hole she rolled through close up. "Great..." She mumbled sarcastically under her breath. Looking around feeling defeated, she noticed the large dark space she was in being lit up by glowing green crystals that seemed to sprout up everywhere. Katara brought her hands up to her throbbing head as she tried to slow her fast beating heart. What did the Dai Li agent say before he threw her in here?

"You've got company."

Katara's brows furrowed in confusion, before her eyes grew wide. "There's someone else in here..." She realized. She jumped up and began looking around. She made a full 360 degree spin before her eyes landed on someone she noticed trying to hide behind a large rock.  
"Hello?" She called out to the person who, in return, didn't reply. "It's okay..." She continued. "I won't hurt you."

The other person was contempt to stay still and not answer. Frowning, Katara cautiously walked up to the person, careful to not spook them. She noticed that the woman seemed to be Earth Kingdom as she continued to approach. The closer she got, the more detail she could note. The torn emerald clothing, the frazzled raven hair, and even the very well hidden...Fire Nation Bracelet? Katara backed up quickly before speaking--her adrenaline rushing back as she took her fighting stance. There was no water, but she was still good at hand-to-hand combat.

"You're Fire Nation!"

When the other woman still didn't reply or even show any sign that she knew Katara was there, Katara became more and more agitated.

"Turn around!" She demanded. She watched as the person slowly stood and faced her. Katara froze in place as capturing blue eyes met enticing gold. 

It couldn't be.

"Azula," the waterbender whispered. Why was Azula here? Why was she wearing Earth Kingdom clothing? There were so many “Why's”, but most of all Katara was shocked. Not just because Azula had been imprisoned but because of how she looked. Whenever she saw the Princess, she always looked pristine, even when they fought. Perfectly ironed clothing and polished armor. Her straight, jet black hair always in a neat topknot-- not a hair out-of-place, literally. But looking at her now...well Katara was uncertain if she was truly the Fire Nation Prodigy, the perfection that was Azula.

Her hair was a messy ball of untamed madness. Her clothing torn and ripped and dirty. She didn't hold herself with her usual pride and arrogance, but she looked pathetic; her shoulders slouching, head hanging low, only raised enough to meet Katara's eyes. She looked, if Katara dare say it, meek.

Katara stared at Azula. It had to be her though. Katara had to reason that much with herself. 

"She has unmistakable beauty..." the tan girl thought. But predominantly, it was her eyes. Her eyes were a unique golden color. Not amber, nor hazel, but gold. A bright gold. One that resembles flames if fire could be such a metal. Katara always noticed a passion in Azula's eyes. Never the look of hate that most would expect. She could even see something else, but she couldn't place it. Azula had that emotion buried too deep, and the cold, impassive mask she kept glued to her face, didn't help to figure it out.

They had been staring at each other for a while now, no one speaking. Each lost in their owns separate thoughts.

"Why did they throw you in here? Huh?" Katara said out of nowhere, surprisingly, making the Princess jump at the sudden noise. "Oh, wait, let me guess. It's a trap. So that when Aang shows up to help me, you can finally have him in your evil Fire Nation clutches! Because I know you are not that pathetic. Being captured. Jumping at the sound of someone's voice? Especially me," She accused. Azula just sat back down and turned her back to the steaming woman behind her. Katara clenched her fists as she stared holes into the back of Azula's head.

"You are a horrible, evil person. You know that?" Katara raged on, her voice rising octaves. She couldn't help but notice how Azula shrank at the harsh words. "Constantly trying to capture the world's last hope for peace! But what do you care? You're the Fire Lord's daughter, the Princess, a freaking Prodigy. The poster child of the Fire Nation! " She declared, venom spewing from each word. Katara was infuriated with the princess. How dare she ignore her?

"What? Do you think you're too good to talk to me. A Water Tribe peasant?" Katara spat at her, but got nothing but silence in return. She shook her head in disgust.

"Spreading war and violence and hatred is in your blood! You're just like your father."

This, Katara realized, struck a deep chord within Azula. The firebender turned around so quickly, whiplash was definitely a possibility.

"I am nothing like him," Azula roared, and Katara could see blue specks of fire flying from Azula's mouth as she spoke. "You don't know what you're talking about!"

Katara backed up, but didn't back down.

"I don't? How dare you? You have no idea what this war has put me through!" Katara yelled, before turning her back to the princess. "Me personally." She continued as she brought her hand up to touch her mother's necklace. "The Fire Nation took my mother away from me." Hot tears ran down the waterbender’s face as she dropped to her knees.

Azula's anger faded as she listened to the waterbender's sobs.

"We have something in common," Azula whispered, slowly walking towards the crouching girl. Katara's head snapped up. When did the princess get so close? Azula knelt next to Katara, both benders surprised that the blue-eyed girl didn't move away.The cautious look in her eyes didn't go unnoticed. Azula knew Katara wanted her to elaborate, but that definitely wasn't going to happen. She looked away, trying to avoid Katara's vigilant eyes. The waterbender regarded the prodigy oddly. 'Azula avoiding eye contact? What is she up to...?'

During her avoidance of Katara's eyes, she noticed the tan girl cradling her right arm. The princess craned her neck and noticed blood oozing from a large cut.

"I can heal that," She offered earnestly. Katara's brows furrowed.

"How? With fire?" She scoffed, a sarcastic smile playing on her lips. Azula frowned, for she found that highly offensive. Katara noticed the other woman's silence. She wanted to move away, but her body wouldn't let her. Sitting there, next to the princess without trying to kill her, let her notice something she would have never noticed otherwise. There was an odd, yet comforting warmth that encased her. The warmth seemed to make her feel safe and...'WAIT! What am I thinking?' She thought.

"No way! I am not letting you anywhere near me," she voiced, remembering that she wasn't only with a firebender, but the enemy. She grabbed her necklace again before speaking. "Fire does nothing but bring pain and destruction," she finished, the harshness of her voice returning. Azula sighed defeatedly before replying.

"I can't blame you for believing that."


	2. Fire and Water Together? Part 1

They sat together for a while, neither of them talking. Katara was surprised she could just sit there with Azula the way she was. Actually, she was surprised she was close to her at all and not trying to put as much space as she could between them. So far, the princess didn't do anything 'suspicious', so Katara didn't feel the need to move, though she still had unanswered questions.

"You never answered my first question," Katara stated, gauging Azula's reaction. The firebender stayed quiet. 'What is she hiding?'

"You're not going to answer me?" Katara tried again, gaining the same response. Katara scoffed and shook her head in annoyance. She looked at the raven haired girl once more before standing up, and walking away from the prodigy. Azula looked up at the water tribe girl. "I wonder where's she going..." she thought. She watched as Katara began inspecting the glowing crystals, trailed nimble fingers across the smooth, and sometimes rough, edges.

"What are these?" Katara questioned, only half expecting the princess to reply.

"They're crystals," Azula, started. Katara shot her a quick look of boredom before returning her attention to the crystals. 

"Oh! The great prodigy finally answers a question," she mumbled beneath her breath, causing Azula to roll her eyes.

"As I was saying..." Azula continued, eyeing Katara who waved her off with a quiet 'By all means'. "They're ancient, green quartz crystals. Very sacred to the Earth Kingdom."

"So why are they down here if they're so sacred?" Katara asked, flattening her palm against a particularly large one. "Actually, better question, why are we down here with them? Why would the Dai Li put prisoners in an underground catacomb filled with their precious crystals?" She finished, bringing her hand away from the glowing quart. Once again upset that she had been imprisoned.

"Well, the Earth Kingdom believes that green quartz crystals provide those around them with a sense well being, self-respect, or in this case- being that they imprison people down here- a sense of balance as well." Azula explained.

"Balance, huh?" Katara sighed, her question rhetorical."That's why they put a firebender and a waterbender together. That makes sense..."

 

It had been a couple of hours and the two girls barely made small talk.

"It's night," Azula informed the other for no reason in particular other than the fact that the silence was roaring in her ears like a airbison, and she needed to hear something--even if it was her own voice.

On Katara’s end, she knew it was nightfall already. She couldn't see the moon but she could  
feel it.

"How do you know?" She found herself asking the prodigy.

"I can feel the sun as it moves across the sky, so I can sense when it's setting," Azula explained, watching as the water tribe girl continued to walk around the large space. It’s been hours since the waterbender arrived, and she hasn’t stopped examining the place even once. Azula was content to just watch her now that the silence gnawing at the back of her skull had lessened.

"Hmm, you oughta be one heck of a navigator then," Katara commented, guiding her attention over to the princess, it didn’t escape her how quickly Azula had turned her head away and stared at the ground. Katara frowned in confusion before turning her attention back to the crystals.

 

It was so extremely late and both benders were slowly dozing off. However, Katara didn't trust Azula one bit, so she wasn't going to let her guard down and go to sleep, and Azula...well she had her own reasons not to sleep--or to at least try not to. The fire bender's eyes shot open as she heard approaching footsteps. She went to wake the snoozing girl and nudged her softly and Katara shot upright giving Azula a deadly glare. The princess signaled for Katara to be quiet and pointed at the entrance of the cavern. The water bender looked up just in time to see it opening. The two girls watched as three men stepped in cautiously, immediately identifying two of the men as Dai Li agents, but Katara didn't know was the third man was. She shoved Azula, nodding towards him. 

'Why was a firebender working with the Dai Li?' She thought, and Azula must have been reading her mind because she answered.

"That's Admiral Zhao. One of the most powerful men in the Fire Nation." Azula paused. 

"Stay here," she ordered Katara, gaining an unpleasant look from the water bender. Without waiting for a reply, she stood up and walked in front of the three men. Katara watched on, wide-eyed at the prodigy's actions. The two Dai Li agents seemed ready to fight, but Zhao brought up his hand to stop them.

"Azula..." He said, a crooked smile plastered on his face. Azula's eye twitched in anger.

"I am still your princess and you will address me a such, Zhao," Azula corrected, her voice taking its usual authoritative tone.

Zhao frowned before his face relaxed into something that utterly angered Azula and he began to chuckle.

"You are a disgrace to the royal family even more so than your pathetic brother, I can call you whatever I wish..." Zhao paused. 

Maybe, now I'll know why Azula was put down here...Katara thought.

Zhao gave Azula a slow once over, a smirk staining his thin lips.

"A disgrace, but a smart one. Dressing like a Kyoshi warrior to gain the trust of the Earth King? Very smart..."

"WHAT!" Katara wanted to yell. Azula dressed as a Kyoshi Warrior to trick the King? No wonder she was down here...

"If only you weren't so weak." Zhao continued "...you might have been able to finish the job."

"I am not weak!" Azula spat, her face only inches away from Zhao's. The two agents went to step in, but Zhao halted there movements once more.

"Oh, but you are, my dear princess. I'm certain your father taught you that petty love…”  
He spoke the words as if they were the most putrid thing he had ever said. “... is one of the greatest weaknesses any competent person can develop. Did he not?" 

Azula clenched her fist tightly, her jaw tensing so hard she was almost scared the muscle would snap. Her eyes darted behind Zhao towards the open cavern entrance and back to where Katara had been hiding behind a rock. She prayed to the Spirits that the water bender realized that the entrance was open. Azula closed her eyes and centered her energy as best she could- it was night after all- before opening them. With maximum agility, the firebender swept her leg across the ground, sending a wave of blue fire towards the three men, catching them off guard. The force of her fire tripping one Dai Li agent onto the floor, knocking him out cold.

"Katara, go! I'll hold them off!" She yelled and was relieved to see the girl run straight to the exit. Her relief turned to slight panic when she noticed Katara turn back slightly as if wanting to help.

"Azula--"

"GO!" She ordered as she watched the girl turn away reluctantly. Azula returned her attention to the Dai Li agent that was charging at her furiously. She threw a couple flaming fists at them before running to the exit herself. 'Where did Zhao go?' she thought, but she couldn't focus on him right now- she had to go find Katara and make sure she was safe.

She had been running for a while when she suddenly heard Katara yell.

 

Katara had ran away from the cavern quickly, not looking back after Azula had made her leave. 'Why did Azula even have to make me leave in the first place?' She thought to herself as she made her way through the dense greenery of the woods. 'Why did I even turn back? Did I even want to help her?' All these thoughts trampled Katara's mind, but before she could actually evaluate them, she felt someone grab her from behind. She was expecting Azula, but was frightened when she saw that it was Zhao.

She looked around, trying to find something to use to help her break free, when she noticed a small stream up ahead. With a quick motion of her hands, she brought the water from the stream and launched ice daggers at Zhao. He let go of her to dodge the attack, growling at Katara before throwing a flaming fist at her--one she was unable to dodge. Katara yelled out in pain. Her breathing became ragged as she tried to not cry in front of the firebending man. She looked down at her blistering arm, trying to breath steadily.

This is why she hated fire. This is why she hated firebenders.

Zhao brought up his hand to strike when suddenly a blue flame whizzed past his face only millimeters away from scorching off his nose.

"Back away from her, Zhao!" Azula yelled. The Admiral turned to the prodigy.

"Azula! How nice of you to join us..." He mocked. 'You will address me as princess Azula,' the young firebender wanted to say, but instead she locked eyes with Katara.

"Are you okay?" She asked. Katara didn't respond, her mind too occupied with the pain that had encased her arm. Azula looked at Zhao, the smile on his face fading as he noticed the wild look in her eyes.

"You dare hurt her?" Azula asked, her breathing becoming deep. Katara tensed, causing the pain in her arm to intensify as she began to feel electricity course through in the air. Anger burned in Azula's eyes as she walked slowly towards the man. She smiled wickedly as he backed into a tree, his hands up in surrender.

"Please, princess. You really think you'll hurt me. I'm your father's right hand man," Zhao commented cockily, but his fear was palpable. The air became extremely static as Azula got closer to the him. Suddenly, there was something forming in Azula's hand causing both Katara and Zhao to gasp.'She really is a prodigy...' Katara thought

"A lightning whip..." Zhao mumbled under his breath. He had heard stories about it and knew it was a dangerous enough weapon to be deemed illegal in the Fire Nation. "Now princess... there's no need to--" His sentence was cut short when Azula brought the electric whip down on his face. The whip didn't only slash him, but it electrocuted him. Azula was about to strike again when Katara yelled out to her.

"Azula stop! You'll kill him!" She strained, her voice weak. She hated Zhao, but she didn't want him to die. Azula's teeth were barred as she brought her whip down, dispersing the dangerous weapon just before it made contact with its target. She looked at Zhao and the large hideous slash that ran across his face. 'That'll leave an unpleasant scar...at least he won't forget who did this to him...' she thought. Azula turned away from the injured man, but stopped when she heard a soft chuckle. She turned around to see Zhao attempting to stand, using the tree as something to lean on.

"You really are weak..." He stuttered with a mirthless laugh. She watched his eyes move to Katara, and her instincts took over. Before anyone realized it, Azula was now in front of the injured water tribe girl who was slowly losing consciousness.

"Stay away from her. It is only because of her that you are even able to breathe!" Asula barked, teeth barred, eyes burning with anger. Zhao tried to stand up straight and failed miserably. Regardless, he laughed before looking up at the two girls.

"You were banished, stripped of your authority, and shamed. All because of that stupid--”

"Watch what you say," Azula warned, taking a step towards him, a protective arm placed in front of Katara.

"Pathetic..."

"I'm giving you one more chance, Zhao. If you say a one more single word I will end you right here and now." The prodigy wasn't threatening him, simply telling him a fact of the potential future.

"Peasant!" The commander finished, sparks of fire escaping his mouth. Azula had, had enough of this. She gathered all of the energy in her body-- ready to strike him with lightning. The feeling of lightning coursing through her body was not pleasant but it wasn’t wholly uncomfortable either. It was freeing and powerful. With one last breath, she directed the lightning straight to his chest--the bolt lighting up the night sky. Katara gasped as she watched Zhao fall and twitch as the lightning invaded his body. The firebending prodigy turned around towards the barely conscious girl.

"Are you okay?" Azula asked as she slowly made her way to Katara. The water bender was obviously very injured and looked like she could faint at any given time. Katara didn't reply as she looked down at her right arm, the one with the large cut from when the Dai li agents through her in the cavern. The scab that had started to form had reopened and the wound was bleeding immensely. She closed her eyes and gulped audibly, scared to look at her left arm.  
Letting out a staggered breath she didn't realize she was holding, she looked at her severely burned arm. The burn traveled from the top of her bicep to her wrist, the skin was red and swollen, and she could already see blisters starting to form. She squeezed her eyes shut, tears staining her cheeks. The pain was almost unbearable. She looked up at Azula realizing that she was speaking but Katara couldn't hear anything due to the pounding in her ears. Just as the edges of her red vision began to fade, she felt protective arms around her before everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh No, Katara!  
> Anyhoo...I know that there hasn't been any actual Azutara, but just wait until the next chapter.


	3. Fire and Water Together? Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...I completely sped through my editing process for this chapter, adding a bunch here, and omitting pieces here, so I hope it didn't end up coming out janky. I'll go over it again at some point, but I need to get it up eventually. :')

Katara was woken up by a pesky ray of sunlight that seemed to creep through the top of the large tree she was laying under. She sat up and rubbed her neck trying to work out a small kink in it when, suddenly, the events of yesterday crawled into her mind. She looked to her left to see Azula sitting cross legged-- meditating, Katara assumed. She didn't know what she should do. She could run...but she didn't want to. She had too many questions, or at least that's what she told herself.

"Good morning," Azula greeted, opening her eyes to look at Katara, but the blue-eyed girl didn't respond. They stared at each other for a second until Azula realized she would once again have to break the silence.

"You fainted...last night after Zhao..." Azula stopped mid-sentence, not wanting to really discuss how severely hurt the waterbender was.

"Did you kill him?" Katara asked rather reluctantly as she began to pull at the green grass beneath her. Azula was quiet for such a long period of time, Katara gave up on actually getting an answer. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to know. How would she feel if Azula had killed someone? How would she feel if Azula had  _murdered_ someone to protect her. Katara wasn't even sure she had the mental capacity to understand why Azula would even do such a think for her.

"No..." The prodigy finally said, breaking Katara out of her thoughts, the threatened to consume. The waterbender snapped her head up, her eyes wide at the princess’s answer.

"But...But you shot him with lightning. I--I saw him on the ground twitching.”

"Twitching from _pain_ ," Azula corrected, straightening her arms at her side, bringing them up and around, before settling right in front of her. She took a deep breath and turned her head ever so slightly, so that she could speak over her shoulder.

"I directed the lightning along his chi paths, effectively blocking his bending," She explained with all of the nonchalance of ordering tea. But Katara did not take it as something so normal. Her eyes widened.

_And I thought she was a prodigy before…_

"You can block bending? How did you know it wouldn't kill him?"

"I didn't. But...I had to do something." Azula paused, her usual bravado faltering, but the stumble was gone as quick as it came, and without missing a beat, Azula was back to her usual apathetic, if not relatively haughty tone. " In any case, I have faith in my abilities to guide lightening," she replied, the usual pride in her voice. "I wasn't going to let him get away with what he did. How bad he’d injured you." She added the last part so softly, Katara had to strain to hear her.

She had forgotten that she was hurt; she didn't feel any pain. She looked at her arms and realized they were full healed. She rubbed her right arm, unconsciously tracing where the scar would have been had she not been healed.

Wait, did _Azula_ heal her?

"Why did you heal me?" Katara blurted out. Azula stood up from her sitting position with all the grace of a princess, causing Katara to stand up as well.

"Well that's an odd question being that if I were to not heal you, you would be dead," The firebender commented offhandedly, her body facing away from Katara, hands folded behind her back. The waterbender narrowed her eyes.

"But that's the thing, you could've let me die, but you didn't." She paused. "You could've let Admiral Zhao kill me, but you didn't. Why?"

Azula took a deep breath, but stayed quiet which only made Katara shake her head in anger.

"I'm so fed up with your crap Azula!" She yelled, gaining no reaction from the princess. "The moment you have to answer a question you avoid it somehow!" She continued. Katara only became more infuriated when Azula continued to ignore her. Her anger danced inside of her, making her stomach knot up in anxiety the longer she spoke.

"I don't even know why I'm still here talking to you." She paused, shaking her head. "You deceived the Earth King by dressing as one of the most respected warriors of the Earth Kingdom! That's why you were thrown into the Catacombs."

"You don't know what you're talking about.”

"There you go with that again. Do you think I'm stupid?" Katara said, approaching Azula. "I heard what Admiral Zhao said to you. I know that's why you were thrown in there. And because you _failed,_ you were shamed by your own father and exiled." Katara accused.

"You're wrong," was all Azula said and the calmness of her voice pissed Katara off...a lot.

"Well then why were you thrown in there?" She demanded. Azula's continued silence sent Katara over the edge. She moved towards the princess and pushed her against a tree with enough force, old bark fell to the ground. Azula's breath had became heavier, but she kept her gold eyes locked on Katara's, and still offered no answer. Katara could feel her heart racing, her jaw tensing, brows crossed.

"Why won't you answer me? Huh? Why did you save me? You said yourself I would have died if you didn't heal me. So why help me? What's in it for you?... Answer me!" Katara yelled, pushing Azula once more.

Azula looked away, her brows pressed together almost painfully, her lips down turned before replying.

"I didn't want you to die, Katara!" Her voice was nothing but a whisper, but Katara heard it was if Azula had screamed it at her. Despite that firebender's words, her mind only let her linger on the subject she could comprehend. Azula saying her name. Katara had led herself into thinking that Azula didn't care enough to know her name. Or perhaps she just never cared enough to use it; preferring _'_ 'peasant'. Katara narrowed her eyes before grabbing Azula's collar roughly.

"Stop lying!"

"I am _not_ lying." Azula insisted. Katara was furious. Her thoughts were everywhere. Azula _is_ lying. She's the _master_ of lying. _'She's just trying to manipulate me so that I will trust her and lead her to Aang and the others.'_ Katara thought. She pressed Azula against the tree though, no real force behind the gesture, as it was more commanding than anything. Her voice was low, controlled, and above all, dangerous.

"I don't believe you."

Why wouldn't Azula fight her? Why wouldn't she talk? What was she hiding? So many questions, but Katara was finally able to settle on one- the one that made her most upset.

"Why won't you fight me!?" She was sure her hold on Azula's collar would leave a bruise. It probably hurt, too. But Azula wouldn't fight back."Do you think I'm too below you to fight?"

Azula shook her head, avoiding Katara's eyes.

"So why!" Katara persisted, tightening her hold on the collar. She knew for sure now, that her vice grip was painful.

"I don't want to hurt you!" Azula finally admitted. Katara's brows furrowed as she slowly loosened her grip; anger melting into pure bafflement. Before she even had time to think too long, Azula continued. "I never wanted to hurt you."

Katara had fully released her. She wasn't expecting this- not at all. "What do you mean?" She questioned. The fire bender clenched her fists and looked away, fury masking her features. Had this been any other situation, Katara would be scared of such a look, but it wasn't direct towards her. If anything, the look almost seemed self-induced. A sort of painful, vulnerability in the way her brows furrowed, and her mouth pressed into a thin frown.

"I wasn't thrown in the Catacombs because I failed, or at least not in the way you think..." Azula paused, obviously having a hard time finding the right words to explain herself. She gulped audibly, shaking her head, hair falling out of place. She pushed the offending strand from her vision angrily, and the movement seemed to have spurred her on.

"When I assumed the disguise of a Kyoshi warrior, my only purpose was to overthrow the King and take Ba Sing Sei. That is, until my father gave me another set of orders... He wanted me to use the Earth Kingdom's fighting force to attack you and the Avatar." Azula explained though her tone was level and neutral, her face was still contorted. 

Katara frowned at that news, but stayed quiet, unsure of where the princess was going with the story. She could guess, but nothing seemed to make much sense and her mind refused to fit the puzzle pieces together before she was given the entire picture. After a long, pregnant silence, Azula finally bit the bullet.

"I told him 'no'."

"No?" She parroted back. "Why did you disobey a direct order from your father?"

 _'Well did you want me to attack you and your friends?'_ Azula almost said but instead bit her cheek to hold her own tongue. Taking a deep, calming breath, she locked eyes with Katara before answering.

"Like I said before, I didn't want to hurt you and I don't now. When he told me I had to attack you. I told him 'no'. That's why I was punished," Azula explained to a very shocked Katara. She was so confused. She would have thought Azula was lying, but that look in her eyes said otherwise. She knew Azula was holding back something, but she was getting her questions answered- mostly- and she didn't want to ruin it by pushing it. Regardless, she still had to know one thing.

"Why? Why don't you want to hurt me?" Katara finally asked. Azula didn't answer, but instead stared at Katara intensely. The waterbender racked her mind for any reason she could think of. She almost had the full picture, but the single piece was missing. That is until she thought back to what Zhao had said in the Catacombs.

 

 **"Oh, but you are. My dear** **_princess_ ** **. I'm pretty sure your father taught you that love is one of the greatest weaknesses. Did he not?" The commander said mockingly.**

****

Love? _Love..._ Then, it finally hit Katara. And when it did, it felt like a boulder to her stomach, knocking the air out of her body with the force of the blow. She just stared at Azula who hung her head low and almost painfully ashamed on her face. She must have realized Katara figured it out.

"You have feelings for me." Katara stated. "You _love_ me!" She continued louder. "But...but you can't!" She declared. Azula couldn't have those types of feeling for her. She couldn't. Katara was a waterbender, person of calm and healing. And Azula, she's a firebender, she's a person of ferocity and destruction. This couldn't be. There had to be a mistake. But, then again, love doesn't make mistakes, now does it?

"Go ahead." Azula spoke. "Yell at me. Call me every obscenity you wish." Azula started, bringing Katara from her thoughts."But, you should know that it won't change anything. My love for you will not diminish nor will it falter in any way." The firebending prodigy declared, holding her chin high, ready to take the line of insults she was expecting. Katara looked at her oddly, she didn't even realize how what she said even sounded. Wait, why would it matter how she sounded? What was she _supposed_ to say? It's not as if she liked Azula, right? No! She's not supposed to. But just because she's not supposed to, doesn't mean she doesn't. Wait! What was she thinking, they're enemies. They've tried killing one another. Azula was a firebender. The daughter of the Fire Lord. But, she was banished and shamed because she stopped the attack on the Avatar, fully knowing her consequences for doing so. But, Azula was a girl...and she was a girl.

' _I mean it's not like same-sex couples are unheard of..._ ' Katara thought. _'There was Lee Mai and Sinyu in the Northern Watertribe. They were a really happy couple and everybody seemed to love them. There was even a same-sex couple back at home who used to help Gran Gran do the laundry. What was there names? Oh yeah. Wasn't it Kami and Leyin. They were really nice...'_ Wait, why was Katara even thinking about same-sex couples?

Why was she even entertaining the idea of...of what? Her and Azula as a couple? Spirits, she was just so confused.

She didn't understand what to do. She didn't understand her emotions. She couldn't explain her thoughts. She looked at Azula and noticed that her usual mask was gone. She Katara could read all of Azula's emotions like a scroll, and she could finally see that the hidden emotion she always saw was, indeed, love--as petrifying as the realization was. How did she feel about that? How did she feel about Azula? Somewhere deep inside she knew the answer.

Thousands of thoughts ran through Katara's head before she finally fell to the ground, emotionally exhausted. She needed guidance, but who would help her through this something like this? Katara grabbed her mother's necklace before speaking.

"Your people took my mother away from me. I'm supposed to hate you. I'm not supposed to...feel _this._ What would the others say if they found out?" Katara sobbed mutely. Azula shot to Katara's side and pulled her into a strong yet gentle hug. Did she hear Katara right? Did Katara feel something for her, too? Katara leaned into the warmth of the firebender. The warmth enveloping her in a sense of complete calmness and safety- something she never thought she would feel with anyone, especially Azula.

How could this woman, this person who supposed to be her enemy, make her feel this way? Make her feel so loved? She inhaled the sweet smell of dark cherry before pulling back and staring into golden irises. Katara drank in Azula's beauty. The golden light from the sun gave the princess's porcelain skin an almost god- like glow. Katara's eyes roamed Azula's face before sapphire eyes landed on full lips. The firebender's heat drew Katara in closer, their bodies without space in between. Katara's left hand rested on Azula's chest and she could feel the princess's heart beating wildly. The waterbender's eyes flickered back up to Azula's before she slowly began to lean in. She closed her eyes just as cool lips landed on warm ones. Both Katara and Azula's heart stopped in that moment, and they felt light headed. When they finally pulled away, Azula had already averted her eyes, a rosy blush spreading across her cheeks.

"I believe this means you feel the same way?" The prodigy asked sheepishly. She had to be sure. Katara giggled- music to Azula's ears- before leaning in to kiss Azula again. She brought her right hand up and placed it on the back of Azula's neck, pulling her in closer. Azula brought her warm hands up to each side of Katara's face, her thumb stroking velvety skin. Neither one knew something could feel so nice, as touch starved as the both were. When was the last time Katara hugged someone who was not family? When was the last time Azula had even so much as  _touched_ someone she was not fighting or meaning to hurt? Unconsciously, they had pulled each other closer, revelling in the feeling of simply holding someone and being held.

Eventually, they pulled back, but only enough for Katara to rest her forehead on Azula's. Her fingers played with the hairs at the firebender’s nape, making Azula's stomach do flips that could rival Ty Lee's best moves. 

"I love you, Katara," Azula mumbled despite herself, and panic had drowned out any and all peace she had felt when Katara had tensed in her arms. Azula reared back as if she had been burned, eyes wide, face pinched in an almost angry expression. Katara mirrored the firebender's expression, but found herself reaching towards the girl. When she cupped her cheek, Azula had flinched, but she didn't move otherwise.

"Azula..." She began, her heart pounding faster at how Azula's walls seemed to crumble the moment she uttered her name. She smiled gently, thumb stroking Azula cheek bone before leaning in and pressing a chaste kiss of comfort on the stunned woman's lips. When she pulled back, Azula could just barely make out a blush on the waterbender's brown skin.

"I--I'm not sure exactly how I feel yet," she whispered, and Azula could feel embarrassment settle over her like a blanket of stone, that is until striking blue eyes met hers, and she suddenly forgot how to breath. "But...I'm willing to find out. How I feel...about you," she finished a little lamely, though her eyes held their warmth. Relief eroded Azula's embarrassment, though she was still mildly uncomfortable at having all of her cards on the table while Katara was still pulling from the deck. Letting out a deep breath, she grabbed Katara's hand--which was still cupping her cheek- before bringing her knuckles to her lips. Katara's heart caught in her throat when fiery gold eyes met her own. 

"I am willing to wait." Azula's words fell over Katara's skin like a true wave of heat, and the intensity and genuine truth Katara felt in the words nearly made her dizzy. Or maybe that was the charming smirk Azula had playing on her lips. Katara noted how Azula's eyes held the same passion and devotion as before, and her voice held the same amount of pride, but knowing that those emotions were now directed towards her made the waterbender's heart sore up into the sky. She wondered if she would ever come down from the high she was feeling, or if that falling would feel even better.

They had no idea how the past few minutes would affect their lives, but all they knew was that as long as they had the other--they _trusted_ one another--they would get through all the chaos that was destined to be in their future. _T_ _ogether._

**FIN**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone knows this story from FF.net, you'll see that I changed the ending quite a bit. Originally, Katara simply smiled and said she loved Azula as well, and it was cheezy, and cliche, and it occurred to me that Katara wouldn't just up and love Azula simply because Azula brought her own "love" to her attention. I even went as far as wondering how a person who barely even knows someone can fall in love, but I have the answer!
> 
> They're just teenagers. Honestly, that's it. You have two teens who we can guess are relatively lonely. You have two teens who have fought each other, and seemingly hate each other. I feel like it's easy to imagine Azula becoming infatuated with the obviously powerful waterbender girl, and being the lonely teen she is, that infatuation turns into some type of odd love. Where Katara was once an enemy she loved to hate, she's now a girl that Azula hates to love, but does anyway, even if it means being exiled. As for Katara, I would imagine that she is also a lonely teenager, and being presented with a someone as intelligent, talented, and beautiful as Azula who claims to love her, she's not scared to explore such a thing, even if she's not as certain about it all. Maybe she's attracted to a broken soul, and she can see how much better Azula can be, and feels like she can help heal her, but a little kissy kissy on the side, doesn't sound so bad either.
> 
> Yeah, yeah, I know. It's not as clean cut and lovey dovey as the original, but I feel like it's more realistic. Haha 
> 
> Lemme know what yall think!


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